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Inspiring and Supporting Photographers of Australian Birds

Black Kite

Black Kite (Image ID 46129)
Photographed byJim Schultz on Sat 24th Apr, 2021 and uploaded on Tue 11th May, 2021 .
Resolution1400x1021
Viewed403
ID46129
CommentI encountered this Black Kite soaring above the Minilya (River) Bridge Roadhouse in Western Australia, about 900km north of Perth. When hunting and gliding on thermals this is a very elegant raptor, which is relatively easy to identify due to its forked, barred tail. The tail is always kept in a ‘v’ and is used for manoeuvring while riding the thermals and therefore constantly twisting and turning. This raptor is not that common in the populated and timbered south-western corner of WA, so for me it was a bit of a thrill to see one and that at such close quarters. Time of capture 08:59.
EquipmentNikon D850 – DX Mode
Nikkor AF-S 80-400 f4.5-5.6G ED VR IF N lens
Technique: Handheld, standing under tree canopy
Exposure Mode: MANUAL 1/5000 sec at f6.3; ISO-400. Metering Mode: Center-Weighted; Focus Mode: AF-S & AF Area Mode: Single.
Post Processing: Nikon ViewNX-i for viewing and selecting files and Tif conversion; Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 for resizing and cropping to 185% , selective sharpening and general post-processing inclusive of removal of noticeable halos; Topaz Pro plug-in DeNoise was used for blanket sharpening and moderate noise control. ‘Australian Bird Guide 2019’ for species distribution confirmation, supplementary data and colour checks. BirdLife Australia for identification confirmation.
LocationMinilya Bridge Roadhouse, Minilya, Western Australia
Keywordsin flight, adult, behaviour/display
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